Hat tricks are becoming old hat for the Erie Otters’ Andrew Yogan.
The second-year forward recorded his second three-goal effort in the OHL – six days after his first one – to lead the Otters to a 6-4 win against Kitchener in front of 4,213 at Tullio Arena on Saturday night.
With the win, the Otters (20-17-2-0) extended their winning streak to six straight games – their longest winning streak since an eight-game stretch from Dec. 6-27, 2002. The club’s winning ways made a 12-game scoring drought a bit more bearable for Otters winger Sean Jones.
But with his two goals, Jones and Yogan combined for five of the team’s six goals.
Jones sparked the Otters’ run to a 3-0 lead early in the second period. He snapped a 12-game scoring drought with the game’s opening goal 6:17 into the first period. He added his 12th goal of the season 6:05 into the second for a three-goal lead. In between, Yogan scored his first goal.
Kitchener’s high-powered top line of Scott Timmins, Jason Akeson and Chris MacKinnon rallied the Rangers (16-20-1-1) within 3-2 in the second. Timmins scored his 25th goal of the season 9:20 into the period. Akeson followed with his 11th goal at the 13:47 mark. But Otters winger Luke Gazdic scored on the power play with 45 seconds left in the period to regain a two-goal advantage.
The Otters’ lead shrunk to one goal at 4-3 at the 1:19 mark of the third, as MacKinnon scored on the power play. But Yogan’s second goal of the night, on Shawn Szydlowski’s second assist, extended the Otters’ lead to 5-3 with 4:31 left. That was a key goal, since the Timmins-Akeson-MacKinnon line struck again with 3:09 left to move the Rangers within 5-4. That trio combined for all four goals and six assists.
Yogan, who had a hat trick in Brampton last Sunday, then capped the scoring into an empty net. Goaltender Shane Owen (22 saves) improved to 6-0 in place of Jaroslav Janus, who is playing for Slovakia in the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship. Ryan O’Reilly and Shawn Szydlowski had two assists apiece for the Otters.
* News and notes: Otters rookie Greg McKegg and Ontario defeated Team West 7-4 in Saturday’s opening semifinal of the 2009 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Port Alberni, British Columbia. Ontario faces the United States or Team Pacific in today’s 8 p.m. gold-medal game. McKegg had no points against the West and has one point in the tournament.

VICTOR FERNANDES can be reached at 870-1716 or by e-mail.

SUMMARY

Otters 6, Rangers 4
Kitchener 0 2 2 — 4
Erie 2 2 2 — 6
1st Period — 1. Erie, Sean Jones 11 (Gazdic), 6:17. 2. Erie, Andrew Yogan 15 (O’Reilly, Szydlowski), 19:13. Penalties — Biggers (E) 4-min. checking from behind, 1:22; Luciani (E) roughing, 12:25; Cimadamore (K) checking from behind, 14:39.
2nd Period — 3. Erie, Jones 12 (Cazzola), 6:05. 4. Kitchener, Scott Timmins 25 (Akeson, MacKinnon), 9:20. 5. Kitchener, Jason Akeson 11 (Timmins, MacKinnon), 13:27. 6. Erie, Luke Gazdic 9 (Torquato, Biggers), 19:15 (pp). Penalties — Barbieri (K) slashing, 19:00; Szydlowski (E) roughing, 19:32.
3rd Period — 7. Kitchener, Chris MacKinnon 13 (Van Buskirk), 1:19 (pp). 8. Erie, Yogan 16 (Szydlowski), 15:29. 9. Kitchener, MacKinnon 14 (Akeson, Timmins), 16:51. 10. Erie, Yogan 17 (O’Reilly), 19:20 (en). Penalties — Cook (E) 5-min. fighting, 3:32; Sartoretto (K) 5-min. fighting, 3:32; Randell (K) hooking, 19:48.
Shots on goal — Kitchener, 9-8-9—26; Erie, 9-9-13—31.
Goaltenders — Kitchener, Parker Van Buskirk 11-10-1-1 (30 shots, 25 saves); Erie, Shane Owen 6-3-0-0 (26 shots, 22 saves).
Power plays — Kitchener (1-4), Erie (1-4).
Referees — Craig Spada, Darren Price. Linesmen — Darryl Wolfe, Kevin Hastings.
Attendance — 4,213.

Three stars
* Andrew Yogan, Otters (hat trick) ** Sean Jones, Otters (2 goals) *** Luke Gazdic, Otters (goal, assist)